Art of coloring wood.



cie gravity, and have a lower capillaru ity than is necessary in the useof the solu-v tions required for a complete impreguatlon of the wood incoloring the same to deep shades throughout. The solutions whlch Will beemployed in accordance with the present invention will preferably 4.beso prepared that they will contain certain proportions of solid matterin a more complete solution, or in a more finely divided state, thanother portions; and in treating the wood the more soluble portions orconstituents of the coloring solution will penetrate and thus color theWood throughout its entire thickness to a considerably darker shade thanthe original color, but With no attempt at a thorough uniformity ofdiffusion. There may be, in practicing the present invention, occasionallight streaks in'the central denser portions of the wood, but as thesecentral portions or constituents of. the wood will never be fullyexposed, such light. streaks are not seriously objectionable.

The less soluble portions of the coloring solution, or the portions ofthe solution of lower capillarity, Will penetrate the wood to a depth ofabout le of an inch; but these less soluble portions, being very rich incoloring matter, will cause the exterior portions of the Wood to bestained to deep rich shades; and as the coloring mat-ter will beunevenly deposited, with greater deposits in the porous portions of thewood in the annular rings and grain cells, the grain of the wood will bevery highly developed to produce very pleasing ornamental effects.

'lhe boards or planks thus treated will be carefull dried to make themready for use; and in nishing their surfaces it is only necessary topass them through sanding or serapin machines which Will not deeply cutor a rade the outer and more richly co1- ored portions thereof.

By the some art' cially colored woods may be pro? duced at very muchless expense than when the wood is colored through to deep shades; andfor many uses this artificially colored Wood, having deep rich shadesand highly developed grain effects in its exterior portions to a depthof of an incli or so, will answer -the same urbe valuable and will poseas though the Wood had been artificially colored to deep shadesthroughout.

Having thus described my invention or discovery I claim and desire tosecure by Letters Patent:

The herein .described process of coloring wood, consisting in depositinga compara tively large amount of coloring matter in the outer portionsof tively lesser amountl'of coloring matter in the inner parts thereof,by impregnating the Wood throughout with a coloring solution of varyingpenetrating constituents and vary ing capillarity, substantially ashereinbefore set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature, rin presence of twowitnesses.

VILLIAM AUGUSTUS .l-IALl i.

Witnesses:

C; M. Swimmer, J. D. KLINGE.

ractiee of this process very handthe wood, and a rela-

